1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine, and more particularly, to a drum type washing machine in which a tub is directly connected to a cabinet, and a drum in the tub and a motor for rotating the drum are supported in the cabinet by a suspension, and a bearing housing structure thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional drum type washing machine, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a rectangular box-shaped cabinet 1, in which a door 2 is installed to the front side thereof, a tub 3 disposed in the cabinet in the horizontal direction to accommodate washing water, a spring 5 and a damper 6 for supporting the tub 3 in the cabinet 1 and for buffering shock, a drum 8 rotatably installed in the tub 3 for washing laundry, and a motor 10 installed at the rear side of the tub 3 to rotate the drum 8.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 is assigned to a gasket for preventing the washing water from leaking between the cabinet and the tub, and reference numerals 23 and 25 are assigned to a water supply and a drain device, respectively.
FIG. 2 is a partially sectional perspective view of the portion “A” in FIG. 1, and illustrates a structure in which the motor 10 is installed at the rear sides of the drum and the tub 3.
Between the motor 10 and the drum 8, a rotation shaft 12 for transmitting rotary power is installed to connect the motor 10 with the drum 8, and the drum 10 includes a hub 13 installed at the rear side thereof, to which the rotation shaft 12 is connected.
The tub 3 includes a bearing housing 14, installed at the rear side of the tub 3, through which the rotation shaft 12 penetrates, and a bearing 15 for supporting the rotation shaft 12 is installed in the bearing housing 14.
Here, the bearing housing 14 is made of steel or aluminum, such that stiffness sufficient to support the rotation shaft 12 can be maintained, and is fixed to the rear side of the tub 3 via insert molding. The bearing 15 is fixed in the bearing housing 14 by being compulsorily tightly fitted against the bearing housing 14.
The motor 10 is an abduction motor in which a stator 10S is positioned at the center of the motor 10 and a rotor 10r is positioned around the stator 10S, wherein the stator 10S is assembled with and fixed to the bearing housing 14 by bolts 17 and the rotor 10R is fixed to the end of the rotation shaft 12.
However, in the conventional drum type washing machine as described above, since the drum 8 and the motor 10 are supported by the tub 3, the tub 3 is supported in the cabinet 1 by the spring 5 and the damper 6, a predetermined space between the cabinet 1 and the tub 3 is required. Thus, there is also a limit to increase the size of the drum 8 performing washing process in the cabinet 1 with a predetermined volume.
Moreover, in the conventional drum type washing machine, since the drum 8, the bearing 15, and the motor 10 are vibrated together with the tub 3, reaction force is generated by the bearing in proportion to the vibration, and a metal bearing housing 14 is fixed to the tub 3 via insert molding to securely fix the bearing 15 to the tub 3.
However, since sizes of the tub 3 and the bearing housing 14 must be changed when volume of the conventional drum type washing machine is changed, the tub 3 and the bearing housing 14 cannot be used in common, and a tub 3 and a bearing housing 14 with different sizes must be manufactured.